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Friday, 20 July 2007

Peach Tart

This is the first 'proper' tart I made yesterday afternoon. The very first tart I tried was using crushed digestive biscuits as base...a no-bake tart actually. I am not the tart or pie person. Believe it or not, I have not eaten a big tart like this before...I don't see them selling at the neighbourhood bakery shops either. I did tried those little fruit tartlets...but I don't really find them appealing. I don't quite like the hard and dry pastry base with this thick, glossy, gel-like glaze that's always very generously brushed on top of the fruits.

So, why is it that I attempted to make this 18cm tart? Well, simply because I fell in love with the photo in a baking book. I would usually skip the part on tarts and pies whenever I browse thru baking books...but the picture of this beautiful pear tart really caught my eye and it doesn't have any glaze on top of the fruits! I couldn't wait any longer to try it out.

It requires some time to make this tart though...as you need to chill the pastry for 20 mins before baking, bake it for another 12mins or so...then let it cool completely, before you can add in the fillings (otherwise the fillings will melt away)..then it's another 35mins of baking time.

The step-by-step instructions and photos in the book are really useful. I was able to make the pastry base easily. I like reading these Japanese to Chinese translated cookbooks as they are always very detailed in their instructions. For this recipe, it's not necessary to use any baking weights or uncooked rice over the pastry when baking...hmmm, but I don't know the reason why?

The filling was spread evenly all over the base before lining the peaches (we prefer peaches over pears). Off it went into the oven.

Ok, here's my finished product...it's a far cry from the one in the cookbook right? I guess I should have pressed the peaches slightly further into the filling...the tart surface was rather flat...unlike the one illustrated in the cookbook...the filling is all beautifully puffed up, well above the pear slices. At first glance, I even thought it was made with a pastry covered on top.

The tart tasted really very good...I'll certainly recommend my baking friend to try it. This tart is full of this buttery flavour...and except for the edges and the rim, the pastry was not hard at all. I could even taste the ground almonds, which was added to both the pastry base and filling. After eating one slice...I was so tempted to reach out for another one!

I left the pie sitting on my kitchen table while I prepared dinner. When I was done cooking, I took a look at the pie and this was what I saw:

The sun was setting then...and the light was shinning all over the tart. It looked so lovely! It took me only less than 5 mins to snap at least 30 shots! With the long afternoon rays...the lights casted shadows all over the tart...making the surface looked really 3 dimensional.

This is my favourite shot! It makes the tart 'almost' comparable to the one shown in the cookbook :)

Sieve flour and almond meal. (The grounded almond powder I used are too huge to pass thru the sieve...so I simply threw them back into the sieved flour!)

With a manual whisk, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

Add in the egg, very gradually, whisking the batter till well mixed each time the egg is added.

Sieve over the flour/almond meal mixture in 2 to 3 additions into the batter. Fold the mixture gently with a spatula.

Form and shape the pastry into a round ball. Roll out the pastry in between 2 sheets of cling wrap or baking paper (I used two sheets of cut-out plastic bags) to about 23cm in diameter.

Remove one side of the cling wrap or baking paper. Place it over the prepared tart pan. Mould the pastry into the tart pan, smoothing the edges and the rim carefully...if the pastry is too soft to handle, chill it in the fridge for 10~15 mins. (I didn't have any problem with it.)

Chill the pastry in the fridge for 20mins.

Use a fork to poke holes on the pastry. Brush the top of the rim with egg wash. (I did this with my fingers.) Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 deg C for 10 ~12mins until the edges are slightly browned. Let cool completely.

filling:

With a whisk, cream butter and brown sugar till the mixture turns fluffy. Add in the egg gradually, mix well each time the egg is added.

Add in grounded almond powder. Fold with a spatula till well incorporated. Sieve over the flour onto the mixture. Mix with a spatula. Add in rum and mix well.

Spread the filling onto the cooled pastry base. Ensure that the edges are filled up. Line with peach (or pear) slices. Make sure the slices are well drained. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 deg C for 30 ~ 35 mins, until the edges and filling turn golden brown. Let cool, and dust with some icing sugar.

thanks so much for sharing your peach tart recipe! it was the first tart i've tried, and mine didn't turn out looking half as nice as yours, but my family loved it. if you see the photos in my blog i added blueberries while folding the filling, and it went quite well with the overall taste.

For this tart recipe, it is not advisable to use blueberries or strawberries as these fruits will not taste as good after baking. You can use bananas, apples or pear slices instead.

However, if you are keen on using berries, then I would suggest you use the other recipe which I have posted under "Fresh Berry Tart" since the filling is made with pastry cream and there is no need to bake the berries with the tart.

You can made them into small tarts, however, you will need to adjust/shorten the baking time.

Hi Happy HomeBaker,Is me again, the one who tried the Charlotte Cake last week. This morning I tried to make the Peach Tart and I was so careless that I put all the ground almond into the pastry mixture! I just proceed with it since I don't want to throw it away and re-make the pastry. The tart was just taken out from the oven a moment ago and it smelt realy nice! Yet to do the sugar dusting but I wonder will the pastry turn out very hard. I am additicted to your blog and every now and then i will drop by and read what you posted there. I also told all my girlfriends about your blog! : )

haiz, it was because i accidentally put all the grounded almond powder into the pastry!Thus I expected the pastry to be hard even before i tried one bite. Anyway, by end of the day, the whole tart was gone! My hubby and 2 girls finished it and said yummy yummy. I am sure if I use the correct amount, it will be more yummy yummy!

Hi ~~ The peach tart looks so beautiful !I didn't like tart b4 either cause the tart shell I had b4 were alawys really greasy & dry, and sometimes they got all wet from the flling, I think that's why bakeries dont sell it cause it goes old quickly, same as those NZ bakeries near my neighborhood.

I'm curious about how does the tart shell taste like ?? Is it crunchy & dry like some hard gingernuts or wet & a bit chewy like some soft choco-chips cookies ?

I like tart shell crunchy / dry - sure tart pastry are all dry so they can hold the filling well. And when u have a bite of the tart, the tart shell doesnt fall apart in ur mouth until u chew it again which I think is the perfect state.

This tart shell is dry not wet, yet it is not chewy. It taste like cookies...not too crunchy and yet not too soft. Do give this a try...I have made this several times and this is just about one of the few handful bakes that I can confidently make and give away to friends without worrying that they won't like it :D

Hi there, i've tried out this tart tdy, it tastes so good! Thanks for the great recipe. =)

One thing i'll like to check with you, i feel that my oven temp is too hot than the normal one? When i baked cake/cookie esp,gets burnt easily.. So if this happens, should i lower the temp? or reduce the baking time? Cos i cannot keep waiting by the side of the oven to monitor... Thanks!

Hi Joey, do you use an oven thermometer? It helps to ensure an accurate oven temperature. It sounds like you have got a hot oven, you can bake it at a lower temperature, and sometimes cut down on the baking time. You will have to try out and get to understand your oven. Also, the type of baking pans you use will also affect the end results...if you use those dark non-grease type, they tend to absorb more heat and the sides of the cakes may get burnt before the centre is cooked. Hope this helps.

I would like to try out baking this peach tart, however the ingredients for the filling and the pastry is almost exactly the same. except for the sugar. Is it suppose to be like that? will the pastry and the filling texture be the same?

Hi HHB!! Am planning to make this over the weekend.....have a q abt the base. In the ingredients it shows as 1 tbsp of egg. However when i read the instructions it feels like a lot of egg. Am i reading it wrong? Thanks for ur help